April 2009

The Catholic Studies Alumni committee sponsored their first 2009 event atLoome Theological Booksellers in Stillwater, Minnesota. Dr. Don Briel spoke about the “Promise and Challenges of Catholic Studies.” The setting was quite unique in that the bookstore is in an old church. The alumni and current students sat in the balcony while Dr. Briel spoke from the staircase landing across the room. He discussed the great things Catholic Studies has to offer to a university, such as its ability to bring together so many of the important components of the Catholic Tradition, including literature, arts, theology, philosophy, etc.
Students asked questions of Dr. Briel to continue the conversation. Alumni were curious to know how they could support Catholic Studies at St. Thomas. Dr. Briel explained that any gifts to St. Thomas can be directed to a specific program or cause, which means donations can be made directly to Catholic Studies.
After the discussion, Andrew Poole, Catholic Studies Alum and one of the owners of Loome’s, invited students and alumni to shop the store. Students and alumni spent over an hour perusing the many shelves of antique, out–of-print, and current theological books.
The Catholic Studies Alumni Committee is a group of Catholic Studies alumni who work to foster the Catholic Studies Community after graduation for both undergraduate and graduate alumni. We would love to see you at an upcoming event! Save the date for the annual summer BBQ on Sunday, August 16, 2009.
Interested in helping the Alumni Committee? Contact Chris DuFresne (Chris@ChrisDuFresne.com 651-592-1027).
Join the Catholic Studies Group on Facebook! Search for “Catholic Studies Alumni – St. Thomas.”

Posted by Emily, UST Senior, Elementary Education and Catholic Studies
Friendly “good mornings” from my classmates on those early Tuesday and Thursday mornings set the stage for the next 100 minutes when you will find students ranging from freshman to adult in JRC exploring the “Paths and Practices of Catholic Spirituality”. More commonly known as Catholic Studies 201, it is a closer look at a few different applications of Catholic spirituality and how these ideas apply to our lives. Our class begins each day with a prayer asking Our Lady and the Saints to be with us as we delve into lecture and discussion on our readings – Church documents, works of the Saints, C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, and other Catholic perspectives on aspects of spirituality.

Posted by Katie, UST junior, Business Leadership and Management, Communications, and Catholic Studies

Katie is one of about 30 UST students studying on the semester longCatholic Studies Rome Program. Follow her Rome blog.
The Bernardi community is reuniting from a week of travels for the excitement of a blessed Holy Week in Rome. I cannot yet imagine the magnificence of spending this week in the eternal city, but hopefully in a few days the experience will earn some words to help describe it! Look for an update to come!

Posted by Paula, UST freshman, Catholic Studies and Education
Where can you go at UST and find open doors, fresh baked cookies in the hall, and a Blessed Virgin statue in the bathroom? Not many places, that’s for sure, but you can find all these things and more at 6-North Dowling Hall…the Catholic Women’s Floor! (And how we got the statue is quite an interesting story…if you come live here next year I’ll tell you!)
Life on the Catholic Women’s floor is absolutely wonderful. One of my greatest fears about coming to college was the people I would live with. Would they accept me? Would they share my faith and values? But the moment I set foot on the Catholic Women’s floor way back in September, I was immersed in a fun-loving community of other zealous Catholics who would accept me for who I am and share many beliefs I have. We just got a new member this spring semester, and after meeting her we immediately made her a very colorful and highly energetic “Welcome” sign for her door. This is just one example of the hospitality of this floor community.